Taking the rains (From Gazette & Herald)

Taking the rains

ATROCIOUS weather conditions made for a very wet and wild 118th Malton Show.

Tents and marquees were in danger of being blown away, as angry squalls ripped their pegs out of the sandy ground at Scampston Park.

As Jacob sheep were given a last-minute haircut, and John Harrison, of Settrington, near Malton, gave his hefty pedigree longhorns a final polish before judging started mid-morning, the heavens opened.

Show president Robert Wainwright said: "The weather has been very disappointing and put a dampener on everything. The cattle entries are lower this year because our show clashes with the Lincolnshire Show, but sheep entries are up and there's a good quality of livestock."

Mr Wainwright awarded his elder brother, Andrew, life membership of the show to mark his support of the event for more than 40 years.

At the true celebration of rural life, stalls sold everything from new cars to "pet lamb" making kits from Wheeldale Woolcrafts, Goathland, to garlic-flavoured honey from Darlington.

There was plenty of traditional Yorkshire fare and other food on offer, as show-goers enjoyed baguettes stuffed with strips of steak and onions, meat pies, tasty cheeses and fresh doughnuts. Ice-cream sales suffered.

Paul Beal, of West Knapton, was steward for an impressive and gleaming collection of vintage machinery. He said: "We've got more entries than ever before - they've increased year on year. It's a popular display - there's working and vintage tractors turned out to a very high standard. People like to see them often because they used to work with them when they were younger."

Four-and-a-half-year old Jansy Hall, a Malton County Primary School pupil, was judged to have produced the best overall exhibit in the Malton and Norton Rotary Club children's handicraft competition, and won The Tom Tate Smith Memorial Shield.

Les Chapman, rotary club community services chairman, said: "We've organised this competition since 1986. This year nine schools have competed and we've had as many entries as last year, if not slightly more.

"They've been excellent quality and we've been really pleased with it."

The deluge ceased mid-afternoon in time for the grand parade, a display by the Middleton Hunt, a falconry show, terrier racing and unaffiliated pony jumping.

Updated: 10:01 Friday, June 25, 2004